The classic horror movie that Stanley Kubrick turned down
Any horror lover will recognise the contributions of Stanley Kubrick to the genre. His most apparent addition to the plethora of horror flicks is the 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining; still, elements of terror exist all across his work, from the bleak finale of the satirical war film Dr. Strangelove to the dark fear of the unknown in the 1999 cult film Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
A director deeply interested in the deep ruminations of the human psyche as well as some of the most curious moral battles throughout history, Kubrick’s finest hour in the horror genre came in his 1980 adaptation of The Shining. Set in the magnificent, fictional Overlook Hotel, located in the Colorado Rockies, the tale follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family, who opt to look after the hotel over the winter.
Dwarfed by the towering presence of the hotel, Jack soon becomes engulfed by an evil, violent presence, influencing his temper toward his wife and psychic son. Several fantastic performances punctuate this chilling, isolated exploration of madness. The most notable comes from Nicholson, whose character’s cruel psychotic descent is one of the best put to screen, whilst Duvall radiates an unrivalled physical fear in the supporting role.
Now considered a horror genre classic, even if Stephen King doesn’t think so, Kubrick is one of the many names thrown around when discussing the masters of horror. But his legacy in the genre could have been far more resounding, with the filmmaker turning down the chance to make The Exorcist for Warner Bros in 1973, leaving William Friedkin free reign on the now-iconic horror flick.
Indeed, before Friedkin was brought on, Warner sent the script to Kubrick as well as the Bonnie and Clyde director Arthur Penn and Mike Nichols of The Graduate before they decided on Friedkin. Well, truthfully, they had little choice, with Kubrick turning down the offer, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I only like to develop my own stuff,” an opinion he would switch years later when he adapted King’s The Shining.
As for The Exorcist, the original author Peter Blatty wasn’t too happy with Friedkin at first, thinking that the director of The Boys in the Band and Good Times wasn’t a good fit for the tragic parental tale that some dare not even call a ‘horror’ film. Following the release of The French Connection in 1971, however, this all changed, with the studio utterly enamoured by the movie’s documentary aesthetic.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining remains a classic horror film alongside Friedkin’s, with many fans still trying to decipher the mystery of the Overlook Hotel to this very day. So popular is King’s tale that they made a sequel in 2019. Doctor Sleep stars the likes of Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Jacob Tremblay and picks up from where the original film left off, following Danny Torrance as he struggles to overcome the trauma of his past.
